Devices that fire frangible projectiles are known in the art. For example, marking guns (commonly known as paintball guns or paintball markers) typically use compressed gas or combustible fuel to propel frangible projectiles. The frangible projectiles commonly have a gelatinous or plastic shell designed to break upon impact. Typically, the shells are filled with marking material, such as paint or an immobilizing material, such as a noxious chemical.
These types of devices have a wide variety of applications. For example, a popular recreational use is in paintball games, in which opposing sides attempt to seek out and “shoot” one another with paintballs. Frangible projectiles have also been used to segregate cattle within a herd. Likewise, law enforcement personnel employ frangible projectiles with immobilizing materials for crowd control. In some cases, the devices take the form of a pistol. However, the current non-lethal pistols available are, among other things, overly complex and in need of improvement.